AaronNight's recent activity
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentUsually one-finger zoom is also available in browsers and photo apps.Usually one-finger zoom is also available in browsers and photo apps.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight LinkI honestly didn't expect this post to receive so many thoughtful replies. Thank you all for the kind words, encouragement and feedback! Reading through the comments was genuinely motivating....I honestly didn't expect this post to receive so many thoughtful replies. Thank you all for the kind words, encouragement and feedback! Reading through the comments was genuinely motivating.
@Pavouk106 thank you for the donation! And thanks to everyone who tried the game itself. Seeing people actually play it, enjoy it, and even keep it installed on their phones is honestly heartwarming.
I made few changes based on your comments and suggestions:
- Added support for screen cut-outs for cameras and sensors
- Fixed accidental clicks on "New Game" button when switching apps with gestures
- Fixed layout of pause menu to make it more intuitive
- Fixed orb rotating slightly on finger release when flag is set
- Added option for rotation sensitivity
- Added option to reverse one-finger zoom direction
- Fixed tabs size, now they are easier to use on phone screen
- Fixed color of decorative elements on the orb texture
The update is available on Google Play and on GitHub. I hope you'll enjoy it!
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentYep, just implemented it, about to testYep, just implemented it, about to test
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentThank you! I think I will try this approach with the next slightly bigger game: first plan it extensively, then implement step by step. Regarding donations, I participate in GitHub sponsorship...Thank you! I think I will try this approach with the next slightly bigger game: first plan it extensively, then implement step by step.
Regarding donations, I participate in GitHub sponsorship program: https://github.com/sponsors/anechunaev It's not the most convenient way to donate, because you need a GitHub account. But there are also other ways to support: to leave a feedback on Google Play store, try the app and give a feedback on found issues, or to put a star on the repository. Sometimes that is even more significant and important. And I appreciate a lot the effort that you and people in this thread put to try the game and share their thoughts. Thank you very much! I really appreciate it and will improve the game in next updates based on this suggestions.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentThank you! That's a good idea, I was so busy going through all regulations that I forgot about itch.Thank you! That's a good idea, I was so busy going through all regulations that I forgot about itch.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentYeah, exactly. Modern big platforms are frustrating. That resonates with what I wrote about Google. You have to invest money into your app to release even if you are indie dev with free app. It...Yeah, exactly. Modern big platforms are frustrating. That resonates with what I wrote about Google. You have to invest money into your app to release even if you are indie dev with free app. It feels that this platforms are optimised for established businesses, and no one thinks of independent developers or small business trying to start.
I hope you'll manage to break through that barrier.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentThat's cool feature I didn't know about! Thank you, I'll definitely add it.That's cool feature I didn't know about! Thank you, I'll definitely add it.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentThank you! I appreciate a lot such a thoughtful and informative feedback. I will definitely address this issues in coming updates.Thank you! I appreciate a lot such a thoughtful and informative feedback. I will definitely address this issues in coming updates.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentThank you for your kind words and valuable feedback! Yes, I find this screen a bit weird too. I will try to fix it eventually. Regarding Google, I totally agree. APK is available to download from...Thank you for your kind words and valuable feedback! Yes, I find this screen a bit weird too. I will try to fix it eventually.
Regarding Google, I totally agree. APK is available to download from GitHub release page. Unfortunately that's the most I can do.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentYou can download self-signed APK from GitHub repo: https://github.com/anechunaev/orb-sweeper/releases/tag/v8 Unfortunately I will not be able to publish on F-Droid because I use sound effects with...You can download self-signed APK from GitHub repo: https://github.com/anechunaev/orb-sweeper/releases/tag/v8
Unfortunately I will not be able to publish on F-Droid because I use sound effects with restrictive license. I do not even host this files in the repo.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentBut I guess even tabletop games need some polishing too, like text refinemenet, graphic design for printing etc. How do you deal with it?But I guess even tabletop games need some polishing too, like text refinemenet, graphic design for printing etc. How do you deal with it?
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
AaronNight Link ParentThat honestly means a lot to hear. "Staying installed on my phone" is probably the best compliment a small puzzle game can get :) Thanks for giving it a try! The rest of the text is just me...That honestly means a lot to hear. "Staying installed on my phone" is probably the best compliment a small puzzle game can get :) Thanks for giving it a try!
The rest of the text is just me whining about how hard it is to make your own game and not burn out.
-
Just published my first game
Hey everyone! I know there are some people on Tildes who like making games as a hobby. I’ve had a long-standing passion for game development, but I never managed to finish a project. About a month...
Hey everyone!
I know there are some people on Tildes who like making games as a hobby. I’ve had a long-standing passion for game development, but I never managed to finish a project. About a month ago, I decided to push myself to finish a small game and publish it somewhere, and finally that day has come! Orb Sweeper, a 3D minesweeper puzzle on a sphere, is now live on the Google Play Store. Just as a disclaimer: it’s free, has no ads, and works offline by default, so I’m not earning anything from it. I just genuinely wanted to share my first finished project, along with the joy and relief I feel now.
Honestly, I’ve always been more ambitious when it comes to game mechanics. I’m a big fan of strategy games, especially TBS games over the years, so of course I always dreamed of creating a grand 4X strategy game of my own. Over time, I implemented many different systems and mechanics that are complex on their own: generation of realistic and interesting maps, pathfinding, economic models, different variations of game AI, and so on. But since these kinds of projects are huge, I was never able to finish one as a solo developer, or even bring it to a properly playable state. I burned out relatively quickly.
Over time, I realized what motivates me to continue: when somebody else is also working on the project, and when you can quickly see the results of your work. Both things are difficult to achieve. First, it’s hard to find people who are ready to spend a lot of their free time developing a big strategy game while following the same vision. Since it’s a hobby and I cannot pay for development, I also have to spend a lot of energy motivating others, not just myself. The longest I managed to keep a small team of two enthusiasts together was one month.
Second, with complex games like strategies, there are only a few big and impactful mechanics that bring the game to the state of a playable prototype, but getting there demands a ton of polishing. Graphics, sounds, small animations, 3D models… a lot of work that is almost invisible on its own, but contributes enormously to the overall look and feel of the game. Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in these small fixes, and that also leads to burnout.
So I decided to make my projects progressively smaller until I could realistically complete one from start to finish. It’s a bit sad to see that only a Minesweeper-like game survived this approach, but I feel like it’s an important starting point. Seeing my game actually published gives me a bit more motivation to finish other projects.
But then… it’s Google. All interactions with its platform make me feel a bit frustrated. It’s surprisingly difficult to publish such a simple game. I even had to hire paid testers just to satisfy their entry requirements for closed-test user engagement. There are so many policies regulating data handling that even if your game does nothing in terms of transferring data, handling accounts, or showing in-game ads, you still have to go through all these bureaucratic procedures anyway. I guess it’s probably the same with Apple, but their famous support still hasn’t helped me with account verification after a month, so I’ve yet to experience that side of things fully.
Anyway, I’m glad that the game is available somewhere at least. And I actually play it myself sometimes on my phone. I know some people here are going through similar obstacles, so I have a question for you: what motivates you to continue working on big, complex games? And more generally, how do you avoid burning out on long-term projects?
63 votes -
Comment on When Richard Dawkins met Claude in ~health.mental
AaronNight LinkSome people think that if a machine can generate text imitating speech, the machine is intelligent. Some people think that if a machine can present more facts than you know, the machine is...Some people think that if a machine can generate text imitating speech, the machine is intelligent. Some people think that if a machine can present more facts than you know, the machine is intelligent.
With that small and limiting definition of intelligence we are doomed to discuss ethical implications of having Mall kiosks.
-
Comment on What is your go-to project for learning a new language? in ~comp
AaronNight LinkMy "Hello World" set of projects: Tic Tac Toe Battleship (sometimes with multiplayer if I expect to work with network later) Minesweeper Wordle All this projects works perfectly in terminal, so...My "Hello World" set of projects:
- Tic Tac Toe
- Battleship (sometimes with multiplayer if I expect to work with network later)
- Minesweeper
- Wordle
All this projects works perfectly in terminal, so CLI-first is a huge benefit to test apps without the need of complex UI, even in REPL environments. Also, games are fun to make.
-
Comment on The cognitive dark forest in ~tech
AaronNight LinkNowadays, baking bread is trivial. The technology for producing this essential food is so mature and optimized that there’s no need to think about how you have to make bread for your own survival....Nowadays, baking bread is trivial. The technology for producing this essential food is so mature and optimized that there’s no need to think about how you have to make bread for your own survival. Just go to the supermarket. It’s cheap. Bread is a commodity. (OK, disclaimer: that’s true for the majority of humanity, but not all.)
At the same time, there are people who see value in handmade bread. There are people who still invent new recipes. There are people who want these technologies to be even more economically efficient. This industry isn’t booming, but it still evolves at its own pace.
It was inevitable for the software industry to become a commodity. With LLMs, the bar for creating software has become lower. This doesn’t mean there is no value in creating software anymore; it means more people have access to it without the need for long and difficult education. You no longer need to bake your own application, instead you can just buy it in the supermarket, because it's so cheap.
Which leads to this idea: if you saw value in software itself, you might be frightened by its rapid loss. If you saw value not in software, but in how and where it is applied (that’s why it’s called an application in the first place), then nothing has changed. You will still be able to solve real-life problems with even more powerful tools.
When the author of the original post wrote that they are afraid of sharing ideas because someone might re-implement them faster due to access to LLMs, I think they are afraid of losing the value tied to the cost of creating software. I understand that sentiment. The time when someone in their garage could start an international corporation may be over, I totally agree. This industry is no longer booming in the same way.
But people are still making bread, after all.
-
Comment on Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix 2026 - Race Weekend Discussion in ~sports.motorsports
AaronNight LinkFinally we saw McLarens on the track, and podium already! Didn't expect that. It seems that we will rarely see them finishing top 3 this season. 15 seconds from P1 - that's a lot. Happy for Kimi!...Finally we saw McLarens on the track, and podium already! Didn't expect that. It seems that we will rarely see them finishing top 3 this season. 15 seconds from P1 - that's a lot.
Happy for Kimi! I think he is my second favourite Kimi in F1 :)
-
Comment on What are people using instead of VS Code? in ~comp
AaronNight Link ParentI also landed with Zed on Fedora, and experience is good. But I stopped using its agent in favor of external agent, because models I use cannot understand tools available to them. They spend a lot...I also landed with Zed on Fedora, and experience is good. But I stopped using its agent in favor of external agent, because models I use cannot understand tools available to them. They spend a lot of tokens trying to write to file, eventually giving up and rewriting whole files. There is not such a problem with different agent using same model.
-
Comment on Felicia – My System (2026) in ~music
AaronNight LinkWhen I was watching qualifying, I thought that it is the kind of song that I could add to my playlist, but not the song that people usually vote for. I was wrong, apparently. Personally, I was...When I was watching qualifying, I thought that it is the kind of song that I could add to my playlist, but not the song that people usually vote for. I was wrong, apparently. Personally, I was rooting for Greczula, he had a good song too.
Yes, you are right. Minesweeper on hexagons plays differently, because of fewer neighbours. No-guess mode becomes trivial, but I know that some people like it anyway. I find it more interesting in classic mode on higher difficulty. On square-based minesweeper, usually it is quite difficult to calculate mine probability entirely in your head. But since hexagon-based minesweeper is simpler, it is easier to calculate probabilities there. Much better suits for casual gameplay.
By the way, square-based minesweeper on tor or cube would be also played easier than classic one, because tiles will have more connections to make a logical chain and reveal their neighbors. Not dramatically different, but easier anyway.